Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, November 27, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 36 November 27, 1934 No. 126 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Manager Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Quigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and Treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1934 by Motion Picture Daily, Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, BETTER THEATRES, THE MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and THE CHICAGOAN. , TT . Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Lite Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 407 South Dearborn Street, Edwin S. Clifford, Manager; London Bureau: Remo House, 310 Regent St., London, W. 1, Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address: "Quigpubco, London"; Berlin Bureau: Berlin Tempelhof , Kaiserin Augustastrasse 28, Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-desNoues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Viale Gorizia, Vittorio Malpassuti, Representative; Sydney Bureau: 102 Sussex Street, Cliff Holt, Representative; Mexico City Bureau: Apartado 269, James Lockhart, Representative; Glasgow Bureau: 86 Dundrennan Road, G. Holmes, Representative; Budapest Bureau: 3, Kaplar-u, Budapest, II, Endre Hevesi, Representative; Moscow Bureau: Civtzev Vrazhek, N. 25, Apart. 146, Moscow, U. S. S. R., Bella Kashin, Representative. Cable address: "Samrod, Moscow." Entered as second class matter, January 4, 1926, at the Post Office at New York City, N. Y., under Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year: $6 in the Americas, except Canada $15 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. Wood-Reliance Talk Deal Sam Wood, now working on the adaptation of "The Melody Lingers On" in conjunction with Lorraine Nobel for Reliance, may make one or two more pictures for Edward Small in addition to the Lowell Brentano novel. A deal is on, but will most likely be completed on the coast. Wood and Small plan to leave in about a week or 10 days for Hollywood. Levy Back; Optimistic Jules Levy, general sales manager of Radio Pictures, returned to his desk yesterday following a trip to the studio. Optimism was his keynote. "I saw several of our forthcoming pictures, particularly 'The Little Minister.' It's merely a question of whether it's a $3,000,000 or a $2,500,000 picture," he said without blinking an eyelash. Laemmle Sailing Dec. 1 Carl Laemmle, Jr., anticipates sailing for Europe on the Rex Dec. 1. He has recovered from his attack of the flu and made an appearance at the Universal office yesterday for the first time in a week. Gorilla Film for Acme Kinematrade, Inc., has booked the Ben Burbridge adventure film, "Kidnapping Gorillas," into the Acme for the week beginning Thursday. Milwaukee's First Run Scales Slashed Milwaukee, Nov. 26. — First run admission prices have again hit the skids here. Dropping the stage shows at both its Wisconsin and Palace and playing a straight single feature policy at both houses, Fox has extended its 25-cent admission at the theatres from 1 P.M. to 6 P.M. except Sundays with the same price policy at its Alhambra and Garden, both of which are playing double features. The Warner has also adopted the new policy of 25 cents until 6 P.M. Present indications are that the poll now underway to bar premiums in Milwaukee county will fail to receive the support of 75 per cent of the exhibitors. Approximately half a dozen theatres here are now featuring gift nights and it is believed the practice will be extended to other houses. Shakespeare Picture Is Cast by Warners Hollywood, Nov. 26. — All but one of the principal roles in the screen version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which Max Reinhardt will direct for Warners, have been cast. The players will include James Cagney, Dick Powell, Joe E. Brown, Jean Muir, Mickey Rooney, Hugh Herbert, Ian Hunter, Donald Woods, Frank McHugh, Otis Harlan, Grant Mitchell, Anita Louise, Hobart Cavanaugh, Ross Alexander, Eugene Pallette, Arthur Treacher, Olivia dc Haviland and Nina Theilade. Renew with Woods Hollywood, Nov. 26. — Warners have renewed their option on Donald Woods' contract for another year. Mady Christian's second picture under her M-G-M contract will be the starring role in the Edmund Goulding picture, "The Flame Within." Mary Ellis' first picture for Paramount will be the co-starring role opposite Carl Brisson in "Be Careful, Young Lady." Van Dyke, Turf Man Hollywood, Nov. 26. — W. S. Van Dyke has been made a member of the board for the Santa Anita race track, which has been largely capitalized by motion picture capital. Delay on Ohio Sale Tax Stirs in Senate Columbus, Nov. 26. — Although immediate legislation by the Senate was expected following passage last week by the House of the retail sales, income and public utility excise taxes, present indications point to considerable delay in the upper branch, due to strenuous legislative and public opposition to the income tax, which runs as high as six per cent on earned income in the lower brackets to nine per cent in the higher, with still higher assessments on unearned income. Certain defeat of the income impost in the Senate is forecast by observers. This will delay the sales tax since Governor White has made it plain that the taxation program must be passed as a whole. That the sales tax will be enacted, and the admission impost repealed, is a generally accepted fact. The only question is whether this will be done now or held over for the new administration which comes into power on Jan. 1. Oue Dual Theatre Remains in Lincoln Lincoln, Nov. 26. — Only one house in the 11 operating here still hangs to dual features. This is a drastic reversal of the situation prevailing two months ago when seven spots went for double bills. Price raises in the second run houses and cuts to one picture went by without a squawk from patrons and business is generally healthier. On the average prices are 15 per cent higher and grosses 25 per cent better. G. B. Opening 4 in Jan. Four Gaumont British productions will have their premieres here the first month of the new year. "Evergreen" will open at the Music Hall Jan. 3. "The Iron Duke," with George Arliss starred, goes into the same house later in the month. The Roxy will get "The Unfinished Symphony" early in January, with "Jack Ahoy" opening there the latter part of the month. Hodkinson in G. B. Post Gaumont British has appointed Kenneth Hodkinson sales manager in the San Francisco branch. He has been associated with Universal and U. A. Columbia Off y2 on Big Board High Low Columbia Pictures, vtc 39 3&yi Consolidated Film Industries 3% 354 Consolidated Film Industries, pfd 18 17% Eastman Kodak 116J^ 116 Fox Film "A" 13% 1354 Loew's, Inc 3554 34% Paramount Publix 3% 3% Pathe Exchange Wi l'/s Pathe Exchange "A" 1454 14 RKO 2 1% Warner Bros 4% 4% Technicolor Unchanged on Curb Net Close Change Sales 3854 — Vz 1.200 3U 500 17% -% 1,300 11654 + 54 1,000 1354 54 400 35 -% 8.300 354 1,800 v/% 2,900 14 -y> 1,100 2 2,400 4% -Ys 3,400 Technicolor Net High Low Close Change . 12% 12% 12% Few Bond Issues Show Gains High Low Close General Theatre Equipment 6s '40 10% 1054 1054 General Theatre Equipment 6s '40, ctf 10 10 10 Keith B. F. 6s '46 64 64 64 Loew's 6s '41, ww deb rights 103% 103J4 103% Paramount Broadway 554s '51 4154 4134 4134 Paramount F. L, 6s '47 5854 5854 5854 Paramount Publix 554s '50 60 59 5954 Pathe 7s '37, ww 100 99 99% Warner Bros. 6s '39, wd 5954 58% 5% Net Change + % 54 -154 54 + % + % Sales 100 Sales 37 2 1 3 3 2 36 30 14 < Purely Personal ► D UDDY MORRIS, son of Sam E. *-* and general manager and vicepresident of Music Publishers Holding Co., holding unit for Whitmark, Harms and Remick, is enroute to Europe for a six weeks' tour of foreign branches. He is aboard the He de France with his father. Howard Dietz's latest activities in the field of lyrics go on display at the New Amsterdam tomorrow night. The show is "Revenge With Music" which Harold B. Franklin and Arch Selwyn are sponsoring. Sir Cedric Hardwicke, British stage star, arrives from England today on the Europa on his way to Hollywood to appear in "Becky Sharp," Pioneer production for RKO release. William E. Harkness, special consultant, and Andre Merle, director of engineering of the Control Corp. of America, are back at the home office after a week at the Chrysler Amplex factories in Detroit. Peggy Shannon returns to the footlights after a long sojourn in darkest Hollywood with a role in "Page Miss Glory" which opens at the Mansfield tonight. Alexander Kirkland, well known in Hollywood acting ranks, has one of the leads in "Gold Eagle Guy.'' It makes its bow at the Morosco Wednesday evening. Boris Morros goes to the coast as associate producer for Paramount after the first of the year. Harry Edington and Barbara Kent left Sunday night for Hollywood. Al Santell is due to arrive from England today on the Olympic. Walter Eberhardt has made his decision. It's to be Nassau. McGann to Columbia Frank McGann, formerly connected with Shuberts for eight years, has joined Columbia as assistant to Ed Olmstead, exploitation head. McGann takes over the job originally slated for Ben Serkowich, who has been forced by illness to take a vacation in the South. Serkowich may go to Gaumont British on his return from Miami. Actors Ask More Relief Led by Ralph Whitehead, executive secretary of the American Federation of Actors, a delegation of unemployed members of the organization will call on Mayor LaGuardia tomorrow noon to ask for more adequate relief for the city's idle vaudeville, cafe and outdoor performers. Sullavan, Wyler Wed Yuma, Ariz., Nov. 26. — Margaret Sullavan and William Wyler, director, flew here from Hollywood over the week end and were married by Judge Earl A. Freeman. Roberts Passes Crisis Cleveland, Nov. 26. — George Roberts, Fox district manager, today passed his crisis and is now expected to recover from his pneumonia siege.